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Introduction and caveats
What is Technology Planning?
Preparation
The Technology Team
Technology Issues
The Technology Plan
Plan Checklist
Funding
Staff Development
Implementation
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Introduction and Caveats
I had a lot of people ask me to put this up, so here's a really
quick and dirty version, with promises of a better resource to come
as I get time to pull it together. I know this is ugly and incomplete
-- but it's all I have time for at the moment.
This is the basic content of the talk(s) I gave at the Technology
& Nonprofits Conference in New York on February 18 and 19, 1999.
A couple of important caveats:
First and foremost, most of the credit for the development of this
particular sequence goes to Reg Foster, Corporate Community Relations
Manager for the IBM Corporation in New York City and Westchester
County. He and I did a session together for the Governor's Conference
on Arts and Technology in March 1998, using this presentation, which
I think is very effective when you've only got an hour or so to
run through things.
I must confess that I hadn't at all intended to use this particular
sequence at the Technology & Nonprofits conference, but was
going to use one that was a variation of something I've been doing
for a couple of years. Lots of the content was the same, but the
structure was different, as was the approach (a bit more whimsical,
I guess.) The sad truth is that I drove home from the class I was
teaching in Chicago, arrived at 3:30am, slept for two hours, and
grabbed the wrong set of transparencies as I ran to catch my plane.
So I just want to make sure credit goes where it's due. These have
changed somewhat from the presentation Reg and I did, but the essential
underpinnings come from that, and he was the one who provided the
template for that.
I'll point you to two other areas, and note that I do promise a
much more comprehensive resource later in the spring.
First, here's
the online version of a similar workshop that Arts Wire has
developed, and that I spent most of the fall going around and giving
in New York State. The online courseware was initially put up by
me, and has been developed further by Beth Kanter, Arts Wire's Education
Coordinator. I expect it to change and evolve as time goes on.
Next, here's a link to
the online courseware for a class which I'm currently team-teaching
with Arnold Aprill in the Masters of Arts Administration program
at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. This is very much
a work in progress, as I'm building the site as the course goes
on. The links in blue lead to the technology portions. Once this
course is finished, I'll be reformulating the content into a stand-alone
resource.
Ok, all that said, here goes. At some point, I hope to expand all
of these with narrative, but that presumes more hours in the day
than I presently have lying around.
Joe Matuzak
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What is Technology Planning?
Must be consistent with organization mission
and overall strategic plan
Should cover 3 - 5 years, with specifics for 18 months
Should cover hardware, software, staff training and other IT equipment
-- phones, faxes, multimedia, and other specialized equipment
Most arts organizations have no line items for technology in their
budgets, let alone plans
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Preparing
The organization should agree:
- to develop a long range technology plan
for the organization, if it doesn’t have one
- that the leadership on the organization --
board and staff -- will commit to the
process
- that it will encourage the staff to participate
and give them the time to do so
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The Technology Team
Who has the power to accept or reject a Technology Plan?
Who can help gain support for the plan?
Who has the skills or knowledge to help define
Technology Plan?
Categories of stakeholders and possible members
may include:
• Executive Director
• Board Members
• Administrative Staff
• Program Staff
• Clients/Audience
• Local Computer hardware/software companies
•“friends” of the organization who have useful expertise
• significant funders of the organization
Rules
have a leader
have regular meetings with agendas, tasks and timelines
assess where you stand -- do an inventory!
develop a vision statement for the plan
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Technology Issues
Programmatic
- production and presentation
- collections management
- scheduling
- member databases
Administration
- fiscal
- personnel
- scheduling
- management reports and planning
- evaluation
Connectivity
Phones and other IT
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The Technology Plan
• Where does the organization want to be?
• What is realistic and achievable?
• What’s the gap between here and there?
• What’s the timeline?
A realistic budget can and should include:
- Equipment costs
- Upgrade costs
- Software costs
- Setup charges -- wiring, furniture, facility modifications
- Network access fees
- Service contracts and maintenance charges
- Insurance Coverage
- Operating Costs -- phone lines, security, utilities, expendable
materials (paper, toner, etc.)
- Personnel costs -- in-house Technology Specialist, consultants
- Staff Development -- workshop costs, consultant fees, substitute
pay, course registration, materials, etc.
Beware buying technology without budgeting for staff development!
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Checklist
Does your plan:
Deal with goals and mandates?
Define how technology benefits mission?
Define how it benefits clients/audience?
Address both program and administrative issues?
Designate a lead team responsible for its implementation and evaluation?
Include staff training and development?
Have a mechanism built into it for change?
Address equity?
Address upgrades, obsolescence and maintenance?
Address the ongoing need for a technology team in the organization?
Allow for an ongoing review and reporting process?
Establish a reasonable timeline and scope?
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Funding
Sources
- grants
- contracts
- fees
- off-price purchasing
- partnerships
- local fundraising
Use good fund raising practices
- get to know the funders
- follow the guidelines
- short, well written proposals
- let the funder know how the gift was used
- give recognition, without being asked
Working in your favor:
- Technology is a hot issue
- Funders believe it can improve efficiency
Working against you
- Nonprofits should be “people” not machine oriented
- Funders will doubt you have the necessary expertise to properly
manage Information Technology
This is why you make a plan -- POINT TO IT!
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Staff Development
- Schedule specific times for technology training throughout
year
- Staff need time to discuss and consider technology change
- Training needs to be ongoing; it can’t all be done at
once
- Some people learn better in lecture format; most others need
hands-on experience
- Use peer coaching and mentoring
- You can’t allow too much time
There are many types of training:
Self training
- software, tutorials, instruction books
Staff training staff
- one-on-one peer tutoring
- mentoring, pairing experienced staff with less experienced
staff
- workshops designed and led by in-house staff; staff members
- continue to be available where hired consultants move on
Trained experts
Outside Workshops and seminars
- vendor-sponsored
- universities/colleges in your area
- computer collaboratives
On-site shadowing
- staff can shadow staff in other organizations
Community Resources
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Implementation
Expect change, and make ongoing adjustments
Be flexible, but try to stick to your timeline
If possible, try pilot projects first
Pilot Projects
- work out the bugs before you go full-scale
- use pilots to test solutions before expensive commitment
- staff involved should be enthusiastic and willing
- make it a true learning experience, but design for success
- provide training and planning time before beginning pilot
Build on your successes
- use successful pilots to encourage others to participate
- encourage staff desire to investigate new applications
- talk about and listen to complaints and accomplishments
- encourage collaboration
Publicize your efforts
- Communicate what you’re doing and why
- keep staff, Board, funders and audience informed
- publicize milestones
- praise accomplishments
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